La pollution atmosphérique, cause de cancer bronchique ?

Much has been written about the short-term effects of air pollution on health. In contrast, long-term effects, which are potentially very important such as lung cancer, have been addressed in only a few cohort studies. Long-term effects of air pollution on mortality have been evaluated in three American and four European prospective cohort studies. These studies consistently demonstrate associations between ambient fine particulate air pollution and elevated risks of both cardiopulmonary and lung cancer mortality. These studies indicate that diesel exhaust especially contributes to the human lung cancer burden, with a relative risk estimated to be about 1.5 in most situations. Although individual health risks of air pollution are relatively small, the public-health consequences of such exposure are nevertheless important.